Caught on video: Naked man runs through downtown El Paso, gets arrested

(Editor's note: The video above contains nudity. Viewer discretion is advised.)

EL PASO, Texas -- A naked man was arrested after running through the streets of downtown El Paso Tuesday evening, stopping at one point to try and chat with patio diners at a popular restaurant.

The incident was caught on video by ABC-7 photojournalist Jerry Najera from his vantage point on the rooftop at the Plaza Hotel.

On the video, the man can be seen running around San Jacinto Plaza before he eventually stops in front of the outdoor dining area for the Anson 11 restaurant, where he attempts to talk to surprised patrons.

That's when police and security guards moved in to capture and cover up the nude man. His arrest took place without incident.

In a brief exchange with ABC-7 reporter Saul Saenz shortly before he was arrested, the man couldn't offer an explanation for why he was running around naked.

The man, showing signs of possible mental illness as he spoke incoherently at times, said he feared police were going to shoot him; the streaker also claimed he was a recovering drug addict who recently left the "straight and narrow" path through no fault of his own.

Police didn't indicate the specific charges the man faced following his arrest, and his identity wasn't immediately released.